Massachusetts single-family home sales rose in January 2011 compared to a year ago, by about 5 percent, the best January for home sales in four years. Condo sales, according to Warren Group January data, have fallen off a cliff — down 18.5% from a year earlier.

The Warren Group’s data, as reported in the Boston Globe, reported that as sales rose in Feb., median prices fell 7 percent to $270,000. The Mass. Association of Realtors had similar results to announce, though they tabulate data differently. Still, MAR’s data showed sales of single family homes up significantly while prices came down. The MAR’s data for condo’s shows a more modest decline of sales in January of 5 percent. Month-over-month, condo sales fell 32.4%.

So if you’re on Twitter today, you should definitely check out the hashtag #matownslogans. Here are some of the gems from the Twitterati:

• Rockport: Gloucester’s spinster aunt.
• Medford: If you have to ask where Meffa is, you’re not from around here.
• Somerville: Cambridge’s Kid Brother With The Perpetually Runny Nose
• Revere: Well, we’re not Lynn
• South Hadley: Where downtown is just past the gun shop
• Pittsfield: Yes, you’re still in Massachusetts
• New Bedford: Better than old Bedford.
• Methuen: Wait, I thought we were in New Hampshire?
• Lowell: Our famous writer stayed longer than a summer *coughConcordcough*

Over at the Wicked Local Wellesley website, reporter Lenny Megliola noted that there was an interesting real estate transaction in his Wellesley neighborhood. The buyer of a property was listed as “Queen Elizabeth 2nd.” What ensues is Megliola’s preparations to go pay a house call on Her Majesty. It’s a fun read.

The Boston Massachusetts Association of Realtors said the bad weather was to blame for  huge declines in January home sales. Single-family homes put under agreement fell 7.3 percent compared to January 2010, and condo sales fell 12 percent from a year earlier. We don’t necessarily doubt that bad weather hasn’t helped, but it doesn’t explain the entire decline. After all, agreements come after weeks (usually) of listings being on the market.

Numbers that came out yesterday from the Warren Group and and Massachusetts Association of Realtors paint a similar picture. Statewide,  single-family home sales are increasing while prices continue to drop. In other words, it finally seems like we’re hitting the trigger point in the market where prices drop to the point it’s getting buyers off the sidelines. No doubt the general belief that mortgage rates will rise over 2011 is playing its part too.

Statewide, home sales rose 6.9 percent in December of 2010 (compared to a year ago). That’s the first sales number increase since June 2010. Prices continued their decline year-over-year. December’s numbers put single-family home prices 5.9 percent lower than December 2009. THAT certainly helps explain the boost in sales.

The condo market statewide remains in the odd pattern of slightly falling sales numbers, but rises in median prices. For December, sales slid 1.2 percent compared to a year earlier while the median price rose 3.1 percent.